Monday, March 10, 2008

GREENBURGH DEMOCRACY--WEEK OF MARCH 10 POST YOUR COMMENTS

Please post your comments about upcoming town issues.

TUESDAY WORK SESSION 2 PM to 5:30 PM
WEDNESDAY TOWN BD MEETING 7:30 PM

47 comments:

Anonymous said...

Westhelp money should be dispersed town wide by the ruling of the Comptrollers office.
Fairview already received some money and this should be taken in consideration
The Valhalla school district should return the money received because it was not used for students but for recreational purposes and above all the Comptrollers office said that the whole plan was illegal..

Anonymous said...

when mcnally says no to first responders having access to veteran park, is she speaking for the edgemont community? if she is- for shame!

Anonymous said...

Most of the first responders live in their respective areas that they serve.
Many have their businesses in the same areas.
If they use our parks they have the right to.
As far as the others they do not pay taxes for these parks so they are considered as outsiders.

Anonymous said...

Regarding first responders...

Is Steve Bass going to run for Governor?

Anonymous said...

Hal - forget Bass (not difficult)

are you running for town council or not?

time to make preiser and her ilk squirm.

Anonymous said...

Year #4 that I've lived in Unincorporated Greenburgh, and I still haven't seen a street sweeper drive by or any weedwacking done. I know that there's more than enough staff available to handle such baseline municipal tasks. I wonder why town management makes the choice to let Unincorporated Greenburgh look so dumpy year after year.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 1:28, McNally speaks for me, my neigbors and my friends. If you live in unincorporated Gburgh, you can use the parks, if not then you shouldnt. Most of unincorporated pays good money for paid first responders, we shouldnt have to pay twice.

Anonymous said...

Why cant the Volunteer Fire Districts give their people stipends for pool memberships? It seems to me the FDs are asking the residents in unincorporated Gburgh to subsideize the FDs.

Anonymous said...

Dear 7:13, (anonymous)

"McNally speaks for me"
How does she know who you are?

Anonymous said...

McNally is the most sensible of that group of angry power-seeking activists (Bernstein, Preiser, O'Shea and a couple of others) but she has gone off the deep end. She is lying left and right. She was apparently convinced by superlawyer that he would win and she can't handle the fact that he lost and was humiliated by the decision as well. In her anger she doesn't mind hurting the residents of unincorporated Greenburgh. Whatever good she has done is being lost in her rage.

I have the feeling that by the time this peaks, this small group will be so discredited that they will disappear.

Anonymous said...

Attention all Fairview Fire District residents. Vote NO on a proposed bond to build a new firehouse. Our taxes are going up too much we cant afford this. Vote NO on March 28, 2008.

Anonymous said...

From the questions asked by the board to the chief of Fairview fire dept.they( fire dept) will receive the money from Westhelp plus the money they already spent that they didn't have in their hand.
The board seems to forget that the comptrollers office declared the contract for Westhelp illegal,and they answered that the money should be used town wide.
Why do you all think that you are above the law?
Do you want the investigation to start all over again?
We have a new comptroller in office in Albany and he does not stand for any type of abuse to tax payers money.
Before you make your final decision
to grant the money only to Fairview check the newspaper today and see what happens when one feels that he is above the law.

Anonymous said...

Many of us make mistakes but if the mistake is brought to our attention we will try to make a difference.
Where as here in Greenburgh the board was told of a mistake made involving Westhelp money but you refuse to do the right thing that is expected .
The state comptroller stated that Westhelp money should be used town wide but you are trying to give the money to the school in Valhalla and the Fairview fire department.
WHY?
Did they not advise you that this was not legal?
Did they tell you that the contract was illegal?
What else do you want to be told by Albany that will make you realize that you are not fit to be representing this town and above all law abidding citizens.
Did you not take an oath swearing to do the job that you were elected to the best of your ability
That is including all the laws that are handed down by those in government positions.
If you don't obey the laws how do you expect those that you represent to do so.
No money should be given to Fairview fire district.
THE LAW IS THE LAW.

Anonymous said...

i wonder if we persue a law suit against this present board with the rulings of the State comptrollers office concerning Westhelp money I think we will win big time.
If this a route that has to be taken so be it.
It looks like this town cannot function correctly unless law suits are initiated for one reason or another.
Why can't this town function with the law instead of going against the law.
Could you all be so dumb.

Anonymous said...

They arent dumb. They pander to one special interest group after another, and count on most people not voting, especially in primary.

And now, Feiner and Garfunkle are arrongant. They should remember -- pride goeth before a fall.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the paraphrased quote of the old Hebrew saying, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." I get no sense that Paul Feiner is arrogant, haughty, or self-bloated with pride. He does his job, as he has done it for 25 years. He puts people first, and is a disciple of constituent service. I find him getting along with Board Members that dislike him, have worked for his defeat, and have different views over how to conduct his job. I spent an hour or so at the "work session" yesterday and found the atmosphere quite congenial, collegial, and the new Board Members bringing a welcomed level of civility and hard work to the table.

As to myself, I work hard for the people I like, the issues I believe in, and the what I feel is the best for the community. I assume most people follow those same guidelines.

If anything, the recent overwhelming victory in Greenburgh showed that faux community leaders basically represented themselves and their special interests. The vast amount of citizens have no clue who these so-called, and self-perpetuating "leaders" are. As I have said before, I was a neighborhood association president for years, and most people keep to their own business, raise their own families, and have a vague idea of what is going on in their own city or town, no less their own neighborhood. It is incumbent on the neighborhood association to inform them of local events and issues, as they arise, not to use them as a tool to further their own agenda. Our association had strict rules about term limits. I hope that all of these neighborhoods demand that there be a turnover in leadership and an accounting of how these associations are run. They should demand more monitoring and control over what these "leaders" say in the name of their association.

Richard J. Garfunkel

Anonymous said...

if you think spitzer is bad, dont rush to send him packing. his potential replacement is politically out of touch and a product of the infamous harlem machine.

oh no - sounds like he is going to be gov.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with the harlem machine.
Maybe we need the assistance that harlem has received throughout the years.
Have you been to harlem lately?

Anonymous said...

the harlem machine presided over the decay of harlem.

once that old guard was replaced by a new generation, things started happening.

do you really think dinkins can read a financial report?

what has charlie rangel ever done for you?

Anonymous said...

A Welcome Change in Harlem
E-MAIL Print Save Share
Del.icio.usDiggFacebookNewsvinePermalinkPublished: September 7, 1995
Gov. George Pataki announced last week that he was shutting down the Harlem Urban Development Corporation and replacing it with a new entity controlled by the state. He made the right decision.

Established nearly a quarter of a century ago to encourage development in a blighted community that desperately needed better housing and more commercial activity, the semi-independent corporation has little to show for its efforts -- despite receiving more than $100 million in public funds over the years.

The corporation, controlled largely by local politicians who sat on its board, has been responsible for some new housing and retail development. But Harlem stands in stark contrast to the Bronx, where the blight was much worse but where there has been remarkable progress in recent years.

Harlem's main business strip, 125th Street, has seen only marginal commercial improvement. Other than the revitalized Apollo Theater, the street has been distinguished mainly by swarms of sidewalk vendors, who were recently evicted by the city.

Donald J. Cogsville, the corporation's chief executive, criticized the takeover, saying that Governor Pataki had left Harlem's future to "outsiders" who do not understand the community's needs. While Mr. Cogsville may overstate the case, the Pataki administration needs to make a special effort to insure broad community participation. Mr. Pataki also needs to prevent the new authority from becoming a mere tool of his political machine.

The new agency will be called the Harlem Community Development Corporation. Its board has been reduced from 35 to 25, with 14 members appointed by the Governor. Six members, including Representative Charles Rangel and State Senator David Patterson, come from Harlem itself. Several others come from adjacent minority communities. Mr. Pataki has elevated the board's importance by adding four state officials, among them Joseph Holland, a Harlem businessman and Commissioner of Housing and Community Renewal.

By assuming control, Mr. Pataki risks replacing one patronage mill with another. If that happens, Harlem residents could experience more decay in a neighborhood that has already seen far too much. The Pataki administration says the change in Harlem signals the Governor's commitment to stimulating development in disadvantaged areas. The Harlem community awaits the proof of that.

Anonymous said...

and lets not forget the carver bank failure.

once harlem got new blood from outsiders, it started making a comeback.

Anonymous said...

So now Harlem is being bashed.

Some blog.

Anonymous said...

no
the old guard that sat idly by while harlem be slummed

harlem is back

now back to greenburgh
(will someone wake up diana juettner)

Anonymous said...

richard garfunkel hasnt been sighted lately

did he get lost on his search for taxter ridge?

richard did you find it?
did you walk there or did you park? if so, where did you park?

if you found it, where is taxter ridge park and preserve?

Anonymous said...

Dinkins and Rangel have not only ruined Harlem but the whole city.
Thanks to a new mayor he has tried to bring it back.
During dikins time Harlem was going downhill but go there now and see what's happening with what was lost and now it is on the way back full force.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I loved my drive around Taxter Ridge, a wonderful source of atmospheric renewal. I spent some time at the Veteran's Center on Saturday watching the comprehensive plan cash register ringing, and then I listened in at the work session on Tuesday. I heard about the fire district contract, the library board wannabees, three good people, and
saw the Board working, for now, well. So I'm basically paying attention.

Richard J. Garfunkel

Anonymous said...

drive around taxter?
richard you got lost.

Anonymous said...

richard g says term limits were in place for his local civic group.

why not term limits for local politicos esp in this one party town, county and state?

Anonymous said...

Term limits are up to the State Legislature and the people. I suggest that the people who are hung up over these lack of term limits petition their government. As to neighborhood associations, not all the bylaws, city to town to village, are uniform. But what is uniform usually is the demand for legitimate meetings to be held, on a timely basis, a percentage of the households as a threshold (quorum) to me met, and a timely rotation of officers.

With regards to a neighborhood having its representatives having the right to comment,in the name of that said organization, on every subject, is another matter.

Most neighborhood associations do not give their officials carte blanche to comment on a subject not first approved by their executive board, or at special meeting of their association.

But, of course, the more people that participate in our democracy, at all levels, the better. The more people that go to their annual and semi-annual neighborhood meetings the better. If more citizens took an interest, maybe they would find out who is speaking for them and why. Maybe they would be encouraged to speak out themselves instead of letting a small activist group dominate the political conversation.

Richard J. Garfunkel

Anonymous said...

garfunkel, this blog and this town isn't about you. please take a long vacation. you don't do feiner any favors with your bloviating.

Anonymous said...

richard - if you ever find your way back from driving around taxter ridge, please let us know where you think it is....

otherwise, i dont find all your posts of the bloviating kind.

but sometimes you engage in puffery when a more critical eye would be welcome.

a key point is that the ella preiser's of the world do not realize that her bloviating causes good people to avoid getting into politics. who would want to listen to her constant carping at every turn. the same is true of many of the off the grid types that often appear before the town board.

Anonymous said...

9:19 anon

The last time I looked there were hundreds of contributions weekly to this blog and 10's of thousands of hits. Therefore, even though you compliment me for dominating this blog, I believe that it is you who are bloviating.

So I would suggest that if you have something cogent to say, or anything worthwhile to grouse about, sign your name so others can see who really is the "Oracle of Delphi!"

Richard J. Garfunkel

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Krauss,I do hope that everything went well with your surgery.
Feel better so we could start to read your comments again.

Anonymous said...

What happened to last ights town meeting it went off the air before it ended.
Does the person who is running this show know what he is doing if not get someone else.
This is very unfair to those who cannot attend meetings.Many of us depend on the viewing of meeting to know what is going on in the town.
Another thing their is something wrong with the way the volume comes over the airwaves.
To hear what each person is saying we have to turn the volume to the highest point.
Have him check the volume,it has nothing to do with the microphones.
Thank you..

Anonymous said...

the credit crisis has now foreclosed wide eyed affordable housing initiatives.

the town must increase its tax base.

the waterwheel property should be sold and put back on the tax rolls. (the town almost lost $50,000 a year in taxes if spano had allowed his contributor to unload a property in unincorporated greenburgh to house the board of elections).

in fact, the delay caused by the town board and their delusions about this property (this includes the prior town board) and the incompetence of the town's legal office has already resulted in this property being offered for sale in a much softer real estate market.

sell waterwheel now!

Anonymous said...

How is this incompetence by the legal office? The property was on the auction list a year ago, and then Feienr pulled it off so Ardsely could have it for THEIR firefightsers.

Anonymous said...

How is this incompetence by the legal office? The property was on the auction list a year ago, and then Feienr pulled it off so Ardsely could have it for THEIR firefightsers.

Anonymous said...

the delay by the town's legal counsel in failing to get a judgement in foreclosure allowed the former owner to file a bankruptcy petition.

a municipal foreclosure should not take 12 years.

in fact, the town's counsel was over its head in handling this entire matter. again, 12 years to foreclose??

affordable housing for such a small location makes little sense. it may also be a pipe dream because of the credit crisis and the very real possibility that there is no real market for this in ardsley.

can someone show us where affordable housing for municipal workers or volunteers has been put into practice successfully?

Anonymous said...

7:51 asks can someone show us where affordable housing for municipal workers or volunteers has been put into practice successfully?

In Dobbs Ferry, on Rochambeau Avenue. Check it out - a great success.

Anonymous said...

can you give us some details about this great success?

Anonymous said...

to Anon 12:05

Why don't you go look at it. I answered your first question and I don't think it is my job to entertain you.

Anonymous said...

i doubt it was a piece of vacant land where a new building has to be built in accordance with today's codes.

Anonymous said...

...krauss had a brain ttransplant...!watch out now! rjg

Anonymous said...

richard
still waiting for directions to taxter ridge

Anonymous said...

To jrg

You often make sense but Krauss always makes sense. When you and he disagree, he is usually right.

ed krauss said...

To: Richard J Garfunkel
From: Ed Krauss
Subject: Adjectives

Much as it is painful for me to writ this, I feel compelled to answer your last posting as it relates to me.

You've added yet another adjective to a long, deserving list of negative descriptives.

You have no idea what type of surgery I had, how serious it was and what the prognsis is.

Yet, you put forth," brain transplant." If it were, you couldn't possibly have been the donor, since you can't donate what you don't have.

Being uninformed about my surery, if you were making a "funny," which is the antithesis of your humorless personality, the adjective still fits"
MALEVOLENT>

You are also an, IGNORANUS, one who is both stupid AND an ASSHOLE.

Anonymous said...

ed - if gaffefunkel tells us where taxter ridge will you forgive him?